Purple Power Smoothie

When your morning smoothie is your favorite color, you know it’s going to be a good day. Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to start the morning and “break the fast.” Because you are loading up on a ton of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals right from the get-go, your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to digest since it’s already blended together! It’s got plant-based protein, resistant starch, healthy fats, some complex carbs, is low in sugar, anti-inflammatory properties, and much more!

With that said, I always make sure to add healthy fats to my smoothies to slow the absorption of fructose or fruit sugar, boost energy, curb appetite/prevent overeating, and to absorb the most nutrients. Some examples of healthy fats I like to add are a tablespoon of nut butter, 1/4 avocado, or Trader Joe’s frozen coconut chunks. The best fats to consume are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol levels.

Furthermore (in case you’ve been wondering), what the heck is ashwaganda? And what does adding a cordyceps packet do? They are simply superfood mushroom/herb powders called ADAPTOGENS. Adaptogens are a unique group of herbal ingredients used to improve the health of your adrenal system, the system that’s in charge of managing your body’s hormonal response to stress. Adaptogens got their name due to their unique ability to “adapt” their function according to your body’s specific needs. Some of my favorite adaptogens are Ashwaganda, Cordyceps, Rhodiola, Reishi, and Chaga. For more information on Adaptogens go to Foursigmatic’s and Sun Potion’s websites; my two go-to brands.

I also use tiger nut/pea protein powder from Organic Gemini in a lot of my recipes. Why? Well, tiger nuts despite the name, are NOT part of the nut family and are a root vegetable — “tuber”. They are packed with antioxidants, a plant-based protein, and assist your digestive tract by acting as a “resistant starch” prebiotic. Prebiotics are used as energy sources or “fuel” for the good gut bacteria that keep your entire digestive system running smoothly. Other examples of foods with resistant starch are green bananas and yams. Pea protein also is a great way to add plant-based protein to smoothies, baked goods, yogurt, and much more!

Also, I like to add bee pollen on top of smoothies and vegan yogurt because they’re like nature’s little powerhouses. Bee pollen is the food of the young bee and it is approximately 40% protein. It has nearly all nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids and fatty acids, enzymes, carotenoids and bioflavonoids required by humans — making it an antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agent that strengthens the capillaries, reduces inflammation, and lowers cholesterol levels naturally. Bee pollen is also fantastic for your immune system and allergies!

However, I just wanted to point out that I’ve built up my immune system to be able to have this much bee pollen, so do NOT have this much for a first time try! Start with a few bee pollen pieces and work your way up, little by little.

As said by Michael Pollan, author of the book Food Rules, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to start my morning and "break the fast" because you are loading up on a ton of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals right from the get go. Plus, your digestive system doesn't have to work as hard to digest your food since it's blended together! This purple power smoothie has got plant-based protein, resistant starch, healthy fats, some complex carbs, low in sugar, anti-inflammatory properties, and much more!

Course:
Drinks

Cuisine:
Healthfood

Servings: 1person

Author: Natasha Sheehan

Ingredients

1/2cupfrozen berries

handful of frozen spinach

1TBSOrganic Gemini's Tigernut/Pea Protein Powder

1Foursigmatic Cordyceps Packet

2Blue Majik capsules

1TBSArtisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice

1/2cupNew Barn Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2cupfiltered water

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

Blend for about a minute, depending on how you like your smoothie consistency.

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About TippyToeGirl

Hi everyone! I’m Natasha, and I'm a lover of all things, especially ballet, yoga, traveling, and discovering healthy food/nutrition menu items to fuel my body. I'm a Corps de Ballet member with San Francisco Ballet and dream of becoming a dance Nutritionist one day.